


the moon is bright enough for all (so don't get left behind)

by wheelsonthebus



Series: the moon is bright enough [1]
Category: LunchClub, SMPLive, The Lunch Club Podcast, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Bad Jokes, Bad Puns, Chaos, Gen, Humour, Internal Conflict, Jumping to Conclusions, Magic, Minor Violence, Misunderstandings, My First AO3 Post, Out of Character, Plot Twists, Superpowers, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, Threats of Violence, but i'll do my best, charlie the punmaster, it's like if you got a bunch of millennials and told them to go ham with magic, literally has no enemies, lots of magic, might be, not graphic and not a lot, phil doesn't have powers but everyone loves him he's so cool, travis is basically a furry, why are there like no works with philza
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:27:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23533048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wheelsonthebus/pseuds/wheelsonthebus
Summary: He really didn't want to hurt anyone, but when he thinks of the light bursting through his body, cracking the earth below him, sending the poor boy flying. He thinks of how it looked, how it turned out, how they all ran–He's a monster.They were right.His fingers twist around his horns. A sob in his throat threatens to spill."Schlatt?"Fuck, they're already back? Schlatt wipes his eyes, composes himself. Steadies his breathing. He stands on wobbly legs and wipes the dust from his fur. Show no weakness. None at all.When he speaks, it's almost as if he hadn't been crying at all.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), in this house we don't ship lunchclub
Series: the moon is bright enough [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1699423
Comments: 102
Kudos: 347





	1. NOTICE

**Author's Note:**

> magical powers au! magical powers au!
> 
> this is my first work on ao3, co-posted on wattpad. 
> 
> please note that this is a work of fiction. if any of the people featured in this story feels uncomfortable, i will take this down! 
> 
> there will be no shipping here. just bros being bros and getting into messes they can't fix, and so create even larger messes to cancel it all out.

hey!

If you’re reading this, it means you picked out this fic out of hundreds to read. As much as I appreciate your support, I’d like to leave some important messages:

\- I am planning on rewriting the entire book once it is finished (which is soon!);

\- The first couple chapters of this book aren’t the worst, but they also aren’t the greatest either. If you push through, you’ll find much better content;

\- Chapters 3 and 10 (the fun chapter/watch the meteor shower) are silly/wholesome little bits to add to the story. They don’t necessarily further the plot, but they’re fun to read;

and most importantly of all — IF ANY OF THE PEOPLE FEATURED IN THIS FIC FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I WILL TAKE IT DOWN IMMEDIATELY.  
Adding on to this; The Moon does NOT include ANY shipping or romance of any kind, nor does it have graphic violence or gore. There are threats of violence but nothing bad actually happens.

Thank you for your time. I hope you enjoy reading my first-ever AO3 post! Much love to everyone who has stopped by!! <3

\- bus


	2. the sun drowns in a sea of blue

So maybe it wasn't the best idea, Schlatt muses to himself. Maybe he should've gone a bit less.. dramatic. Less showy.

To his left, he hears Connor mutter, "Yeah, you stupid idiot," but chooses to ignore it. Creepy mind-reading little shit. 

Instead, he kneels down and examines the damage. To be fair, he didn't expect anyone to get in his way. It's not entirely his fault Charlie (that's his name, right?) got blasted twenty metres by a beam of light. God. It sounds even more absurd when he thinks it. 

Trying to get back on track, Schlatt runs his hand down Charlie's arm, examining for injury. He ducks his head, listening for a pulse. Bingo. Charlie's still alive, thank goodness. He doesn't seem badly hurt, and even if he was, Ty would have him sorted. Besides, with all his tech knowledge, Charlie would be a valuable asset to their team. As if reading his mind, which he almost certainly was, Connor murmurs a, "I'll go get him," and Schlatt listens to his footsteps fade away.

Once he's gone, Schlatt sighs. It's slow and heavy, enough for his whole body to tremble from hooves to wing-tips. He really didn't want to hurt anyone, but when he thinks of the light bursting through his body, cracking the earth below him, sending the poor boy flying. He thinks of how it looked, how it turned out, how they all ran–

He's a monster.

They were right.

His fingers twist around his horns. A sob in his throat threatens to spill.

"Schlatt?"

Fuck, they're already back? Schlatt wipes his eyes, composes himself. He steadies his breathing. He stands on wobbly legs and wipes the dust from his fur. Show no weakness. None at all.

When he speaks, it's almost as if he hadn't been crying at all. "Yes, Ty?" 

Ty tilts up onto his toes, then back down again. Up and down. Up and down. "You needed me?"

Not so soon. "Yes. Heal him for me, will you?" He backs away and stands beside Connor. A pink glow emits from Ty's palms and surrounds Charlie's body. Charlie inhales sharply, and the glow seems to rush into his lungs. Then it all stops. 

Schlatt feels strangely proud, watching Ty work. Who knew a winged faun, a business partner, and an intern would become this close? Like a family, he thinks, and Connor punches him in the ribs.

With Charlie, they could become stronger. Then they'd show the world. 

They'd show them that they aren't freaks. They aren't strange.

They are more powerful than the humans could ever hope to be.

"Let's get him back to the base," Connor's voice is quiet and eases him out of his thoughts. It's a good idea. 

Schlatt scoops up Charlie's limp body and stretches out his wings. "There's a spare room, isn't there?" He asks. 

Connor sighs. "Yes. We've lived there for years and you still don't know?" He exchanges an exasperated glance with Ty, who bites back a grin.

"Watch your tone, Connor," Schlatt says, but he can't stop his smile. "I'll see you there."

Then he flaps his wings once, twice, and takes off. 

It's beautiful in the sky. Sometimes, when he's feeling down, he likes to fly up as high as he can and watch the oranges and reds of the sun bleed into black. Then the stars remind him to hustle, and he flies back down. There's rarely a day's rest in the life of a mystic businessman.

As he flies higher and higher, swooping through the clouds with the joy of a three-year-old. 

His first thought is, Charlie would love it if he was awake.

His second is, I don't even know the guy.

The journey takes less than five minutes, and soon he finds himself nearing the ground, white fur billowing out in the wind as he tucks himself in for a more streamlined shape, arms aching whenever he adjusts his hold on Charlie. A familiar scene stares up at him and he descends.

It looks like any other meadow, all lush and green and blossoming with flowers. In the near distance, a good ten or so minute walk away, is a river swollen with fish. Then directly to his right is a forest. It's more than a half-hour drive from their base to the nearest town and besides, no one goes out into the wilderness now. 

They're all scared of the magic ones.

Schlatt lands with as much grace as an elephant attempting to do ballet. Flushed and breathing heavily, he staggers through the top secret doorway (which is actually just a hole hidden behind a bush) and sighs with relief at the sound of marbled floor beneath his hooves.

"Techno?" He calls. "Can you – fuck, I'm so out of breath – can you get Charlie to one of the spare rooms?"

There's a reluctant grunt, then a pink-haired man appears down the hallway. He examines Schlatt with narrowed eyes, then takes the crumpled body into his own arms. "What did you do now, Schlatt?" He asks, clearly used to this.

"I, uh," Schlatt toys with the tip of his horns. "I may have blasted him with a beam of light. By accident, of course."

Technoblade stares at him and Schlatt shrinks under it. "Hm. Of course." His eyes narrow further, then whisks back around and heads back down the hall. 

Schlatt sighs for what feels like the millionth time and drags himself to his own room, next door to Connor's and across from Ty's. It'll be a few minutes before the pair arrive. If he's a good friend, he should return and walk back with them. But self-care is knowing when you're about to collapse, and then knowing that you should get some fucking sleep in before you get a heart attack or something.

He's had enough drama for one day, and the peace of his bedroom is inviting. His hoodie is a bit of a struggle to get off with his horns in the way. He really should start investing in the zip-up ones. He glances around the room, then grabs his brush and combs down all the fur sticking up in weird directions. The transition from skin to fur is still one he's enchanted by. It's so strange. Like a beard, but on your body. 

When he's done, he slips into the bed, the mauve bedsheets lulling him into the state between sleep and consciousness. It's the most relaxed he's been in weeks.

He really should know that it won't last.

It never does.


	3. your only witness are the clouds above

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Concentrate, Carson thinks. Focus. What happened here?
> 
> An ant crawls over his knuckles. He closes his eyes.
> 
> The images flash in his mind. It's a struggle to see. It's all blurry, like someone tried to wipe the memories away. Like someone tried to smudge it. Hide it.
> 
> He sees horns. Wings. It's the goat-man, but he can't quite –
> 
> He can't quite see –
> 
> They speak. It's a word, a name. Are they speaking to him? He can't make it out.
> 
> Why do they sound so scared?

"You can't be serious."

At least Travis has the decency to look ashamed. His ears lower and he averts his gaze, looking exactly like a dejected puppy.

Carson rubs the space between his eyebrows and speaks again. "You just left? Didn't even try to help?"

"No one expected it," Travis mumbles, ears flat against his head, "He just ran out there and it – it –" his voice breaks off. A low whine rumbles in his throat and Carson's eyes soften. He reaches out, combing a hand through Travis' orange fur. "I'm sorry."

"Go easy on him, dude. He's just a kid." From across the room, Cooper stands, gills fluttering. Carson shakes his head and steps away, foot tapping at the wooden floorboards. 

"He should know what to do, we've been over this," Carson responds in a huff. "Now we have a rescue mission on our hands and we don't even know how powerful they are." He takes off his glasses, blowing on them before wiping them off with the fabric of his shirt. "Travis, did you see anyone else there?"

The adlet's tail attempts to wag, but it's too tightly curled. "Mhm! There were two other people with the flying goat thing."

Carson's eyes light up. A lead. "Can you find them? Like, show us where you last saw them?"

Travis smiles. It's small and shy, but it's a smile all the same. "I'm part dog, of course I can."

They head out.

Travis leads. His face is already changing as he grows in-tune with his instincts; his nose and mouth elongate to form a snout, fur grows more thickly across his body, and his shuffling walk becomes one of a more graceful, loping stride. It's a fascinating transformation that Carson will never grow old of.

To Travis' left is Cooper, shaded from the sunlight by an entire brick wall. Since Cooper is part fish, he dries up easily in the sun, which is a shame considering they live in California.

Then, there's Carson. He's not part animal like the other two. He looks like any other human, which is possibly his greatest strength. One day, when the humans and the magics unite, he could become a detective. Until then, he'll do his best to save every damned magical being he can. 

They brought reinforcements, too. Noah and Ted are at the back of the group as lookouts and guards. Noah's telekinesis means that he can protect Cooper's sensitive scales and block enemy attacks without much effort. Ted, however, is one of the most powerful. They brought him along just in case they run into that winged goat.

Ahead of Carson, Cooper gasps.

It's understandable, really.

They stand at the edge of a crater at least six feet deep and a crack splits the earth, running about twenty metres long. 

No one needs to announce it. It's obvious that this is the place.

"Travis, are you sure the guy who got struck didn't straight up die?" Ted asks.

The adlet shrugs. "If he was dead, wouldn't he still be here? The crater's still smoking; it can't have been long."

"Maybe he's crushed," Noah quips. "Like dust? We could be standing on him right now."

"That's disgusting, kindly shut the fuck up," Cooper snaps. Noah begins to retort when–

"Can you guys shut up? I'm trying to concentrate." Carson's crouching at the mouth of the crater and he presses his hand to the dirt. The group falls silent.

Concentrate, Carson thinks. Focus. What happened here?

An ant crawls over his knuckles. He closes his eyes.

The images flash in his mind. It's a struggle to see. It's all blurry, like someone tried to wipe the memories away. Like someone tried to smudge it. Hide it.

What were they trying to disguise?

He grunts, arms trembling from the force of the images. It feels like an ache in your sides after a punch, like an insistent migraine. It shakes him, unbalances him, the ground splits beneath his feet. The light is blinding. It slams him to the ground and shoves him as far as it can. The ground, it's so hard, so tough. Someone's trying to move him. Tension is in the air. Can't breathe. 

He sees horns. Wings. It's the goat-man, but he can't quite –

He can't quite see –

They speak. It's a word, a name. Are they speaking to him? He can't make it out.

"Ch–"

"Char–"

Why do they sound so scared?

The goat-man leaves before he can focus. Another takes his place. Smaller, pink, white. A glow. What are they doing to him? He can't feel his limbs. Are they drugging him? Hypnotising him?

He can feel the push of another's mind into his, seeking his thoughts.

A mind-reader.

Carson yanks his hand away so hard it hurts. He stumbles backwards, into Ted's arms.

"Carson, are you with us? Are you okay?" Ted sounds anxious. "What did you see?"

Carson shakes his head, gasping in air. This is bad. This is so, so bad. 

"They took him." His voice is so shaky. "They did something to him. I don't know what. They- they have a mind-reader, and someone who can do magic. I'm not sure what kind. It felt like they drugged him."

"Did you get his name?"

"Started with Char."

Travis smiles thinly. "Maybe it was Charizard."

That draws a chuckle from most, but it's nervous, too tense. 

"Maybe Charles? Charlie?" Cooper suggests. "Travis, can you sniff out where they went?"

Travis' face is human at the moment, and he growls at the idea. "I just transformed back! Do you know how much effort that takes?" But he's already shifting again, body hunching, claws forming. He flashes his teeth in the parody of a grin, then crouches down, sniffing at the ground around them.

He makes a sort of snarling noise and follows an invisible trail.

The rest of the group exchange a glance. They will have to be careful. They need to rescue Charlie first.

They can't be seen.

And with a being that powerful, who knows how many allies it has?

"We got this," Carson rallies them, "We'll be fine. For Lunch Club!"

"For Lunch Club!"

Their cheers are quiet but strong, and Travis' howl splits the air. It signals the start of their chase. Their mission.

It's time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for the support on the previous chapter!! I'll do my best to update this whenever I can. After all, I need something to do in my quarantine boredom. 
> 
> Also, my birthday's tomorrow, which is fun. I'm supposed to be travelling but nope! i'm stuck at home!


	4. the fun chapter no one asked for

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So maybe Technoblade is going crazy. So what if he is?
> 
> The pigs understand. They oink at him and he oinks back. They get it. They know.
> 
> At least he has friends to go crazy with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's my birthday today (9th April (the same as our lord and saviour LilNasX and also tommyinnit)) so i made this chapter. It doesn't contribute to the plot at all. It's just for fun.
> 
> After this, posts will be once or twice a week.

So maybe Technoblade is going crazy.

So what if he is? It's nobody but his own business. It's his own thing, alright? At least the pigs understand. They oink at him and he oinks back. They get it. They know.

Oh, to be a pig. To be a pig in a muddy pasture, doing nothing but eat and oink all day. What a life. 

"So, I'm waiting for Charlie to wake up," Techno continues on with his story, kneeling on the ground with mud splatters on his robes. "And he gets up about fifteen minutes later, right, and asks me what happened to him. So of course I tell him that Schlatt knocked him out with a light-beam, and you know what he says? He looks me dead in the eyes and tells me, completely deadpan, 'He really knocked the lights out of me. You should brighten the mood, 'cos it got dark real quick.' I swear, I'll kill him."

Technoblade sighs and rubs his face, smearing mud across his cheeks, and a pig nudges his arm, oinking sympathetically.

"You get it, don't you?" He says as the pig shoves its entire face into the food basin. "I'm going to make a potato farm, one day, and I'll give you all the potatoes you could ever want. Wilbur called me crazy, but I'll show him." He gets to his feet so suddenly the pig gives a surprised squeal and falls backwards. "That's it! I should find Wilbur! I'll be back, little piggy, don't you worry."

He rushes out of the pen without looking back.

The pig watches the strange man leave, then returns to eating. It appreciates the company, but sometimes the human is too weird. Emotions are too sticky a thing, and for a moment the pig is glad it has no conscience, then proceeds to freak out.

Meanwhile, Technoblade sprints through the forest.

Wilbur has super senses – he's able to hear even the quietest sounds, which sucks for him when it comes to music-making because even the tiniest note out of place sends him spiralling.

Still, with this magnified hearing, Wilbur should be able to hear his footsteps. If Techno really wanted to, he could be silent enough to surpass even Wilbur's senses and it's hilarious seeing the man jump out of his skin. Huh. Now that's an idea.

For now, though, he actually wants Wilbur to hear him.

His footsteps fall heavy on the ground until a large barn comes into view. Then he slows to a stop. He surveys the area, making sure no one else is here. He doesn't have his mask, so he has to be certain he's alone before he begins his creeping around. He moves as fast as he dares, placing one foot after the other in carefully calculated spots. 

Wilbur probably assumes he'd enter through the backdoor. In most cases, this is true. Today is an exception.

He goes in from the front.

Wilbur sits at the foot of the wooden stairs, fiddling with his guitar strings. He keeps his head down, but Techno can see his eyes flicking towards the back of the barn. He looks confused.

Good.

Technoblade is about to take a step forwards when Wilbur's head shoots up. He stifles a gasp and swings himself back around, seeking cover behind the wall. Someone else must be here, but who? 

He really should've brought his mask.

He peaks back around, careful to stay out of view, as Wilbur sets down his guitar. He stands and does a quick survey around the room, thankfully glossing past Techno's hiding spot. He narrows his eyes and sits back down, though now on full alert. 

Well, whoever that was, they just made Techno's job a lot harder. What a douchebag.

He rolls his eyes, eying up Wilbur's position. He needs a way in without being spotted. If he goes in from the centre, it's much cleaner, but the wooden floorboards would creak, and he'd be easier to see. The planks along the walls would support his weight without creaking, but it has piles and piles of hay. It can't be comfortable to walk in that.

No pain, no gain.

He makes up is mind and is hyping himself up when a whisper –

"Hey, Technoblade."

He's barely able to stop himself from leaping six feet into the air.

Whirling around, prepared for a fight, Techno finds himself face-to-face with a certain blond. Any anger he previously had melts away and is replaced by a smile. Phil grins back, wide and pleased, and is about to speak again when Techno hushes him.

He gestures towards Wilbur and Phil nods. "I'll stay put," he mouthes.

Good idea. Phil can't move as quiet as Techno and they both know it. The latter peers back around the wall, where Wilbur glances in his direction with suspicion, before turning away. There's no possible way Techno can get in. Unless...

"I need a distraction," he mouthes, waving his hand towards Wilbur. He picks up a stone and shoves it into Phil's hands, then mimes running and throwing it.

Phil stares at him, bewildered. He stares at the stone for a solid minute then his eyes widen. He nods, then sprints around the barn and straight up fucking yeets the rock. It lands with an audible clatter against a broken piece of metal which has Wilbur on his feet. 

With Wilbur facing the other way, poised with his guitar as a weapon, Techno slips into the barn. He's dead silent as he creeps closer, closer, until he's right behind his victim. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Phil peaking around the doorframe. He shoots Phil a thumbs up, then he reaches over so that his mouth is right by Wilbur's ear and murmurs,

"Hi, Will-i-Am."

Wilbur screams so loudly it rattles the windows and brings his guitar down hard on Techno's head.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Wilbur gasps then picks up on laughter from just outside. "You bloody cunt!" He flings his guitar as hard as he can in Phil's direction, who guffaws, then doubles up with even louder laughter.

From on the floor, Techno begins to laugh, then grunts as his head pulses with pain. The things he does for the shits and giggles. 

Wilbur crumples to the floor, making tiny half sobs, half laughs, and rocks himself back and forth. "You guys are so mean," he whines, and through the pain Techno begins to cackle.

"I'm not Charlie for you to hit me with you guitar, Wilbur," he jokes, rubbing his head. "That really hurt, by the way. I hope you know that."

"You deserve it, you fucken– you absolute pig," Wilbur groans, head in hands. "That scared the shit out of me! Ohh, I'm never seeing you guys again." He swats at Phil when he approaches, then softens when he hands the guitar over. "I shouldn't have thrown it. It's fucked." He strokes his hand over the damaged instrument, mournful.

"I'll steal you another, no big deal," Techno says, sitting up. He fist-bumps Phil, then puts an arm around Wilbur. "You know, that could've knocked me out."

"I wish it did," Wilbur probably jokes, and gives a light punch to Techno's shoulder, who proceeds to cry out and wail in a very dramatic fashion. "Anyway, what brings you here?"

"I was going to tell you about my potato farm's humble beginnings but I got sidetracked," Techno smiles, ignoring the eye-roll he receives from the words 'potato farm'. "I've told you about Charlie already, haven't I?"

"Yeah, you sent your bloody pig over with a note. Me and Phil saw it last night."

Phil nods. "Your handwriting is awful, mate."

"Hey!" Techno furrows his eyebrows. "That was uncalled for."

"Your face is uncalled for," Wilbur replies snarkily, then shouts when Techno almost throttles him.

So maybe Technoblade is going crazy, but at least he has friends to go crazy with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can't wait to get my slimecicle youtooz so i can put him in a jar


	5. and the stars whisper while you dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Stop talking to the enemy, Travis! Kick their asses!" Someone in the distance yells, and Travis whines.
> 
> "I can't do that, they called me cute!"
> 
> This time Connor is the one who screams. "It can fucking talk?! That's no dog, that's a fucking furry!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i lied about that posting schedule.
> 
> i'm too worked up in a writer's rut. i couldn't stop myself. I LOVE THIS AU WITH MY WHOLE HEART goodbye
> 
> fun fact: last chapter, i was planning on doing something with phil and wilbur chanting "hey technoblade" while techno spirals, but then i switched their powers because it makes more sense to have wilbur=super hearing and techno=super strength + stealth instead of the other way around.

"Maybe you could mind-read him, to see if he's okay."

That's a good idea. He probably should've thought of that. "Hey, I have an idea," Connor says, just to be an asshole. "Why don't I mind-read him to see if he's okay?"

Ty rolls his eyes so hard Connor can practically hear it, and he gives a soft snort of laughter.

"I doubt it'll work, if I'm honest," he admits after a second, toying with the buttons on his suit. It's a really nice suit: purple jacket and tie, then a yellow shirt. Technoblade had kidnapped a tailor and forced them to make the outfits. Honestly, worth it. 

Perhaps having an ex-hitman on your side and in your business isn't so bad.

Ty hums, tilting his head. He's in a similar fit, except his is pink. All different shades of pink. So much fucking pink. "Why?"

"I don't know, if he's far off, I doubt I'll get a link. It might work for plot convenience, though," Connor says. "Give me a second."

He closes his eyes, blocking out Ty's thoughts. Huh, there seems to be people nearby; they're messing with the signals. Probably just a group passing by, no big deal. 

Schlatt, he thinks. Find Schlatt. Schlatt's thoughts.

It's hazy at first. Behind his eyelids, he sees a comforting shade of blue, which shifts to red, then black, then back to blue again. He probes further, past the colours, and finds himself seeing flashes of images.

A beam of light. Charlie's face. Techno frowning. Ty, but as a baby, and Connor has a beard. What the fuck?

He tries to find the words. The thoughts themselves.

Schlatt's voice is booming in his mind.

Schlattcoin, the faun murmurs, sounding almost drunk. Value only goes up. Deals and business...

Connor opens his eyes. "He's sleeping. Dreaming of his cryptocurrency again. How many times do I have to tell him it's not working! No one's bought a single Schlattcoin other than Wilbur and Arlus, and Arlus is gone! He's fucking gone! He left the company years ago!"

"Connor," Ty says, quiet and urgent, "Connor, be quiet."

"No! Schlatt has been going off the rails trying to get people to buy Schlattcoin, but no one will. No one! They all say it's a scam. It's a scam! It's a scam, Ty, it–"

"Connor, please," Ty says again, voice more forceful. "We're being watched, I know it, there's people here."

"They're just passing by," Connor snaps and is about to rant again when – wait.

Did he just hear a fucking howl?

He shuts his mouth so quickly his jaw clicks. Suppressing a soft noise of pain, Connor scans the land around them, searching for movement. He focuses his mind and reaches out, seeking out thoughts, invasive thoughts–

This should be an easy fight, he hears someone think. The voice is confident, almost smug, deep, familiar..

He moves on to another. Then another. And another.

There are five men.

Five magic men.

Most of them echo the first one's thoughts. One of them is nonsensical barking and growling. Another has functioning thoughts, but the background noise of their mind is the sloshing of water. 

He pauses at the last one. Their mind seems empty; he hears no thoughts, no sounds, nothing. He's about to move on when –

I know you're listening.

We're going to stop you from ever hurting anyone again.

Connor physically recoils. 

"Ty, we gotta go," he hisses as he grabs the intern's arm. "They're going to kill us. We have to get out of here."

Ty stares at him with wide eyes. "Kill us? What for?"

"They think we hurt one of theirs. Fucking run already! We need to get out of here before they set their fucking dog on us–"

Another howl fills the air. The thundering of paws follows.

"– too late. Too late! We're fucked." 

Connor grumbles to himself as he sprints over the grass, dragging Ty by the tie. If only he could pass his thoughts to other people. That would be so useful. He'd be able to get Schlatt to come over and help them.

Sure, Ty and Connor are very valuable assets, but their powers mean nothing in a fight. Ty's powers are straight up passive and Connor's belong behind the mastermind of the fight, not within it.

He once again thinks of what a stupid idiot his boss is just as Ty screams.

Without looking back, Connor yanks Ty forwards, grabs him by the armpits and carries him over his shoulder, all while still running.

"Holy shit!" Ty is panting. "You know what? If that dog wasn't trying to kill me, it's pretty cute."

"Thank you," the dog says, sounding genuinely flattered, and this time Connor screams.

"It can fucking talk?! That's no dog, that's a fucking furry!"

There's a short silence, then: "I'm not a furry, I'm an adlet."

"Stop talking to the enemy, Travis! Kick their asses!" Someone in the distance yells, and the dog-furry-adlet-Travis thing whines.

"I can't do that, they called me cute," Travis shouts back, and Ty gasps.

Too winded to question it, Connor simply looks into Ty's brain. Ah, now he understands. Travis is transforming into a human. He's definitely a furry. Schlatt would like him.

There's a muffled yell of exasperation and a fucking fire bolt shoots past them. A patch of grass bursts into flames about a metre in front of them. Holy shit.

Travis makes a sort of strangled noise and darts forwards on all fours, keeping pace with the two runaways. "Get on my back, I can outrun all of them," he orders, and Connor stares for a moment, watching as fur sprouts across the adlet's body. Another fire bolt collides with a rock no more than forty centimetres to Connor's left. A tree flies past their heads and sends sprays of dirt into their faces.

Yeah, he'd rather not die. 

Thrusting Ty onto Travis' back, Connor gives one last burst of speed and lands behind the intern, groaning. "I've never run that fast in my life," he says through gasps for air, then slumps forwards and leans his head on Ty's back, grumbling under his breath.

With Connor past all means of sensical, Ty leans forwards, brushing his fingers through Travis' fur. "That's so cool," he breathes, then frowns, glancing behind them. There's shouting and a desperate cry of Travis' name. "Won't they be angry?"

"Probably," Travis says mournfully. "They'll kick me out. I won't have anywhere to go." He sighs, ears flattening, as the voices fade into the distance. "I've been with them all my life. Cooper's going to be so disappointed," his voice breaks slightly, then he shakes his head. "You're not murderers, are you?"

Ty blinks. "I hope not."

"What's your power? Carson says you guys drugged, uh, this guy. And there's a mind-reader."

"Drugged?" Ty's voice raises in pitch. "No! I heal. When I'm calm, I can make a defensive shield. I kind of forgot I could do that."

"You also weren't calm," Travis points out. "So the other one's the mind-reader?"

Ty nods, "He's Connor, I'm Ty. I'm guessing you're Travis." He pauses, fiddling with his tie. His suit is surprisingly clean, but he'd rather be in his hoodie. "Hey.. do you even know where you're going?"

"Not really," Travis' voice has started to come out more strained and he's slowing down. Ty glances back again, but the other magic folk are out of view. 

"Maybe.. maybe you can come back with us. Schlatt will be willing enough to let you stay," Ty suggests, "but it also means you won't be able to go back to your friends."

Travis slows to a stop, human features already returning, and Ty slips from his back. He struggles with Connor for a minute or two, but manages to lean him up against a nearby rock. The mind-reader groans and rolls over onto the grass, flat on his face.

"I want to go back to them and see if I can stop them from going after you," Travis says quietly. "If they kick me out, will you see me back here tomorrow? If I'm not here by sunset then–" He shoots Ty a wry smile, eyes downcast– "I'm either with them or dead."

Before Ty can protest, Travis turns and drops to all fours. In less than a minute, he's gone.

Ty sighs.

It's going to be a long journey home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mostly just a filler chapter so we can get to the good stuff sooner!!!!! next chapters are gonna be ebic
> 
> also i found out you can change the date of the chapter, you have no idea how tempted i am to change the year to fuckin 1950


	6. unseen tragedies in distant galaxies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt's slouching against the wall, faintly amused and sleepy-looking. Charlie's there, too: he's shivering and covered in some weird green goop, leaving behind a sticky trail back to his room.
> 
> "What the fuck are you doing? Why are you dripping?" 
> 
> Charlie pushes his fringe out of his eyes, a bewildered grin on his face. "I don't know what's going on, man. I woke up freezing cold with this gooey shit all over me. You could call me a slimecicle!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sort of filler. good stuff soon

Ty and Connor arrive just as Schlatt wakes up.

They walk in to the sound of breathless laughter and unfamiliar British voices mingling with a deeper one.

That must be Technoblade. He's the only twenty-year-old they know that sounds like a middle-aged man.

As they walk past the main room, Ty catches a glimpse of a tall man with wavy hair and one with blond, both chuckling at something Technoblade says. He longs to join in with them, to forget about his worries, but Connor tugs on his arm and makes a pained noise.

"You're the worst," Ty jokes, helping an exhausted Connor along. His leg twinges slightly – he's bleeding from where Travis had grazed his ankle – but bites back a wince. Connor needs more help than he does.

Connor smiles tiredly at him. "I ought to give you a raise."

Just as they round the corner to the bedrooms, Ty catches sight of Schlatt. He's dressed in loose-fitting clothes, comfortable and sleepy-looking. Charlie's there, too: he's shivering and covered in some weird green goop, leaving behind a sticky trail back to the spare room.

"What the fuck are you doing? Why are you dripping?" Schlatt tries to sound angry, but yawns halfway through his sentence. It's like watching an angry puppy.

Charlie pushes his fringe out of his eyes, a bewildered grin on his face. "I don't know what's going on, man. I woke up freezing cold with this gooey shit all over me. You could call me a slimecicle!" He beams, then pauses, squinting at Schlatt. "Didn't you try to sell me an apple earlier?"

Schlatt's face contorts at the horrendous pun. "What, when I screamed 'apple' at you?" He asks. "Yeah, that's me. I kinda knocked you out, too. That happens when I'm feeling a bit extreme."

"I never even got my apple," Charlie frowns, "That's not an a-peel-ing way to get customers, dude."

Schlatt rubs the space between his eyebrows. "One more pun out of you and I'll do it again. Now go get washed, I don't want to see any more of that drip on my floor, Charlie."

"I never even got your name! Isn't it a core belief that one should introduce themselves?"

"How are you making so many apple puns?!"

Charlie smiles, cocking his head to the side. "What can I say? I'm pretty punny." He offers a hand to Schlatt, who inspects it carefully before taking it. "You know me," he says.

"I'm Schlatt." The faun rolls his shoulders, inspecting the shorter man. "You keep those puns to yourself, alright?"

"Gotcha!" Charlie sings, then prances down the hallway, where he nearly bumps into Ty and Connor. He blinks, wide-eyed. "How long were you guys there?"

"Long enough," Connor says, voice thick with exhaustion. "Thanks, Ty. I'll manage from here." He nods a greeting to Charlie and trudges down the hall to his room. 

Schlatt begins to speak when Connor shuts his door, and the faun backs up, hurt flickering across his face. "What's wrong with him, Ty?"

Ty raises an eyebrow in disbelief. "You left us to walk back by ourselves, and we got ambushed by a group of people who tried to kill us. One of them helped us escape and now he might die because he betrayed his friends. Of course Connor's mad. In fact, so am I," he says. He shoots a quick smile at Charlie, then disappears into his own room.

Once they're both gone, Charlie winces, giving Schlatt a pitying glance. "Sheesh. Good luck with them."

"No kidding," Schlatt says, still staring at the closed doors as one might do when folks don't respect other's wishes to not fucking witch-hunt people. 

From behind the closed door, Ty listens as Schlatt sighs and leaves, hooves clicking against the marbled floor. He feels bad, but Schlatt has to learn that he and Connor aren't as powerful as he is. They really could've died.

He thinks of Travis.

Travis will be okay. He's sweet and friendly – it must be enough to convince the others, right?

The next day, Ty waits by the rock. He has a basket of food and drinks, and a fluffy hooded cloak as a welcoming gift for Travis. He knows he might be waiting a while – the sun has barely risen yet – so he has plenty of sandwiches and snacks, plus spare for the adlet.

He keeps the basket atop the rock and walks around, picking colourful flowers. He brushes the dirt off of their leaves, then uses his healing powers to restore them to their prime. That morning, the tall guy – Wilbur – had taught him how to make daisy chains, and he makes one to tie the bunches of flowers together. They look especially pretty, surrounding the base of the rock and the basket like a present.

It looks lovely, if Ty does say so himself. It'll help Travis feel at home.

In fact, he feels so light and happy that his palms glow with a pink light. He can feel magic running through his veins, sparking at his finger-tips. It's like his powers are just as pleased as he is. 

He shoots pink sparks into the air when he's finished, sitting with his back against the rock, one leg up and the other stretched out. Connor comes to sit for a while, then leaves to finish off some work. Technoblade comes by to compliment Ty's handiwork before setting off to escort his friends home. Even Schlatt comes to apologise and they shake hands, no harm done. 

"It looks beautiful, Ty," Schlatt says, and Ty smiles so wide it hurts.

"You think he'll like it?"

"Of course he will. You made it. I'm honestly jealous." Schlatt ruffles Ty's hair, the pride in his eyes unmistakeable. "You've grown so much, Ty. You're like a son to me, you know that?"

Ty gives a short huff of a laugh, batting at Schlatt's hand. "I don't like how nice you're being," he says, teasing. His voice turns serious. "Thank you. It's been a pleasure working with you."

Schlatt smiles. "I'm going to see Connor now. Come find us when all's done, yeah?" He makes sure he doesn't ruffle the flowers when he flaps his wings. Ty waves him goodbye, then settles back down. He's never been so happy in his life.

Travis doesn't show up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i never realised how much i like making everything seem so happy then snatching it away at the last second. i should do this more often


	7. faraway planets bring promise of hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Footsteps approach, and he lifts his head, glancing out of the corner of his eye. He spots hooves and feathers, and then Schlatt comes into focus.
> 
> "Charlie, are you watching this?" He asks, gesturing to the screen. When Charlie shrugs, he goes to change the channel. It takes less than a second for the infamous drone of a news reporter to kick in, and by then Charlie's out of his seat.
> 
> "No fucking way," he says, snatching the remote out of Schlatt's hand. He shakes it at him warningly. "You are out of control."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back!
> 
> I had a really tough week, not gonna lie. First my brain cancelled dopamine for some ungodly reason, then today I dropped my phone and now it's not charging, and I'll have to wait until after quarantine to get it fixed. 
> 
> Writing this was kind of therapeutic.

If two days ago, someone had told Charlie he'd be living with a rag-tag group of businessmen on a rescue mission to save a furry from a mob of angry magic people, he would've laughed, or maybe made a joke about it – "You need to paws for a second" – or maybe he'd give them a worried smile and change the subject.

Funny how things change.

He ponders over these fickle things as he takes apart yet another security camera, fiddling with the screws until he gets it just right, toying with the metal until it melds into place. Then he slots everything back together and places it carefully onto the ever-growing pile to begin on the next. 

Every time he finishes one, he greets it, hears it whirr and click, and then there's a choice of three reactions: the furious "what did you just do to me?!", the dazed "what.. happened...", and of course the pleased "thank you so much! My parts haven't felt this good since 1970!"

If anything, the last response made him feel more worry than the others. What sort of cruel being neglects their technology like that? More often than not, he takes them apart once more to make sure everything is perfect.

Sometimes, when he walks in the city, he sees people on their phones. It's always too tempting not to – he mutters under his breath, and the phones begin to talk. They're constantly muttering about how dirty they are, or how their human only uses the same three apps over and over. Sometimes it's funny, other times it's a bit sad.

Well, getting off-topic, now. He only has one more to fix, then he's good to go. 

In front of him, the television blares – some sort of kids cartoon is playing, but he doesn't really recognise it. Some kind of blue cat and his orange sibling getting into trouble. He isn't really concentrating, but it's something to fill the background, and he kind of likes the voice of the cat, anyway. The orange one's voice took him by surprise, but he shouldn't judge.

Footsteps approach, and he sort of lifts his head, glancing out of the corner of his eye. In his peripheral vision, he spots hooves and feathers, and then Schlatt comes into focus.

"Charlie, are you watching this?" He asks, gesturing to the screen. When Charlie shrugs, he goes to take the remote and begins to search for something. It takes less than a second for the infamous drone of a news reporter to kick in, and by then Charlie's out of his seat.

"No fucking way," he says, snatching the remote out of Schlatt's hand. He shakes it at him warningly. "You are out of control."

Schlatt stares at him in disbelief for a moment, a half smile, half grimace on his face. "How do you make so many puns? Don't you run out of material?"

"Not yet, I haven't," Charlie shoots him a grin as he switches back to the cartoon. He gestures with his free hand towards the security cameras when he asks, "What do you need them for? Techno just dumped them on the desk and told me to fix them up, on your orders. Where did he even get them?"

"I'm setting them up all over the place. It might lead us to our, uh, rival's base. Then we go in, grab Travis, and get the fuck out." He pauses to think over the last question, rubbing his chin. "He might've stolen them, I don't know. He's kind of intimidating, actually."

"He could kick my ass in a second," Charlie agrees, sinking back down onto his chair. He examines his last piece of tech, then grabs a screwdriver. "These are in really shit condition, though. He couldn't have gotten them better?"

Schlatt shrugs, sliding onto the seat beside him. "I probably should've made it clearer," he admits. He watches Charlie for a moment, then turns back to the TV. "Is this The Amazing World of Gumball?"

Charlie bites back a grin. "Probably, I've never seen it before."

The orange cat speaks, and Schlatt yells. "That is not Darwin's voice, what the fuck? What is this?" He grabs the remote control and views the channel. "How did you get onto YouTube?!"

"I didn't– oh, you fucker." He points his screwdriver at the TV. "You better stop that, or I'll shut you off."

The TV makes a noise that sounds suspiciously like a snort. "I'm helping you out," it says, "I'm giving you clues."

"How are you giving clues? It's a cartoon–" Charlie cuts himself off at Schlatt's bewildered expression. "It's talking to me," he explains, just as Connor runs in, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"I heard him! I heard– oh. How did you..?" He trails off, squinting at the television. "That was his voice. How did you find it?"

"Whose voice?" Schlatt asks, becoming increasingly confused. "What's going on? Are you losing your minds?" His eyes flick from Charlie to Connor, accusatory and a bit unhinged. "Is there some sort of sickness going around? Should I keep six feet away from you guys?"

"No, no," Connor shakes his head. "That was the voice of, you know. The guy who threatened us."

"And it was on the TV?" Charlie asks for Schlatt, who appears to be in a state of What The FuckTM. When Connor nods, Charlie fishes around in his pocket for his phone and pulls up YouTube. The words type themselves into the search bar, plus a winky face which erases itself soon after. 

He taps of the first video that pops up, which appears to be an Amazing World of Gumball parody. The description doesn't offer much, but a quick glance at Connor confirms that it's the same person. Scrolling down, he finds the top comment:

"Did anyone else find out that Carson is a filthy magic-doer?"

There's 3.5k likes and about a hundred replies. Many of the comments below are similar.

Something heavy and sick settles in the pit of his stomach.

Thank god he deleted his channel the moment he discovered his powers. If these comments were about him he'd –

He'd –

"Hey," Connor's voice is soft and gentle. "You found his name, right?"

Charlie swallows, rubbing his eyes, and he plasters on a smile. His voice wobbles only a little when he speaks. "Yeah. Carson." He switches to Google and begins typing. There's a short silence, then –

"Last seen only about an hour's flight away for you, Schlatt."

"So we have a lead," Schlatt says, finding his tongue at last. There's a fierce determination in his eyes. "We can track them down right now."

"They're dangerous," Connor reminds him, "Ty and I would've died if Travis didn't help us."

"Then we'll be careful," Schlatt says. "You were taken by surprise. We won't be."

Connor sighs, and Charlie knows he's torn between their own safety and wanting to rescue Travis. "Just.. be careful, okay? Don't die, that's all I ask." 

"That bar's very low, Connor." Schlatt gives him a toothy smile but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Go tell Ty to get ready. It might cheer him up. Charlie, go find Technoblade. He'll probably be in the training room. Just don't sneak up on him, he might accidentally impale you. Think you're up to it?"

Charlie blinks. "I'll have a stab at it."

Schlatt huffs out a laugh, and it's the first, most genuine laugh Charlie has heard from him. "I don't think I'm sharp enough for this," he says, and Charlie can't stop his grin.

Maybe living with a rag-tag group of businessmen isn't so bad. 

If only his hard, hard work on those security cameras hadn't gone to waste, this would be perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if charlie didn't get blasted, literally NONE of this would be happening,,.,


	8. when the supernova explodes all comes to rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How much longer until we arrive, Schlatt?" Charlie grits out. His knuckles are white from how tightly he's holding on.
> 
> "Just a few minutes. What, you feelin' sick or something?" Schlatt grins, canines glinting in the moonlight. Not for the first time, Charlie notices how he looks exactly like some kind of demon. Is this cult? Is Schlatt Satan?
> 
> He twitches his nose, trying to stop his glasses from falling off. "This is really uncomfortable," he says. "Why can't I walk with them?" He jerks his head towards the trio on the ground, then gags. A deeper shade of green colours his cheeks.
> 
> "I have no idea what you're talking about," Schlatt says, still grinning, "I think this is pretty _fly."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slimecicle youtooz has arrived and he looks real nice in his jar. 
> 
> i've been binging poke and ty's fnaf streams. they're so fucking funny. 
> 
> also i just found out how to use italics and i'm straight up vibing, goddamn. also also, happy ramadan to anyone who's fasting! i'd join in, but satan's waterfall is giving me a major headache.

He tries his best. He swears he does.

It's just so difficult to keep his head up, stay strong and confident in the eyes of his friends. He wants to look like he knows what he's doing, but honestly?

He's scared.

He should probably think about something else before Connor reads his mind. He doesn't want him to know. He doesn't need _anyone_ to know.

All he needs to do is look like he's got this. He needs to think it, too.

He stands up straighter and runs a hand through his hair, then dusts down his suit. The one he's wearing is specially designed to look good and act as armour – it appears to be made out of regular human material, but it has magic woven into the wool.

His hand reaches up, almost by its own accord, and he toys with the tips of his horns.

"You do that a lot, you know."

Schlatt nearly jumps out of his skin.

Whirling around, he finds himself face-to-face with Techno. Mask on, of course, but it's obvious he's grinning. He takes in a breath, wings flaring by his sides, then pulls on a smile.

"What, you watching me or somethin'?"

"You look nervous," The assassin says instead, speaking almost lazily. He pauses for a moment, mulling over his words, and Schlatt takes the chance to look him over. He's got a tiny crown on his head and a red and white fur coat which actually looks quite comfortable. For a fleeting second, he wants to touch it – and he nearly does, until he realises that might be weird.

He swallows, tugging on his horns again. "How'd Charlie manage to get you without dying?"

Techno makes a low whistle, eyes crinkling at the corners. "I may or may not have punched him in the face," he admits. "Ty healed him, though." He pushes his hair out of his face, looking up at Schlatt. "Got a plan for tonight?"

"Get in, grab Travis, and get out. Flawless," Schlatt says, only half joking. After a moment's pause, he locks eyes with Techno, confessions on the tip of his tongue. He really ought to confide in someone. "Hey, Technoblade?"

"Hm?" 

Those eyes hold so much respect, so much friendly affection. What if Techno decides that he's not worth it anymore, after hearing everything?

He looks away with a sigh. "Never mind. I'll see you later."

Techno watches him carefully, head tilted and eyebrows furrowed. There's a beat of silence, then –

"My name's Dave."

By the time Schlatt looks up again, he's gone.

Darkness covers the land like a blanket.

It's time to move.

On the ground, stepping silently through the trees is a cloaked figure. He glances over his shoulder and nods, then melts into the shadows.

Behind him appears two more men. One walks with a slight limp and waves away help. The other clicks his fingers and casts a soft pink glow. It flickers, tongues like flame reaching up into the night sky. 

A breeze drifts down towards them as something swoops downwards, killing the pink flame with wings beating hard as it soars. It rises, framed by the moon: the unmistakable shape of a man flies past.

In his arms he carries another person, whose face has turned a pale shade of green.

"How much longer until we arrive, Schlatt?" He grits out. His knuckles are white from how tightly he's holding on.

"Just a few minutes, Charlie. What, you feelin' sick or something?" Schlatt grins, canines glinting in the moonlight. Not for the first time, Charlie notices how he looks exactly like some kind of demon. Is this cult? Is Schlatt Satan?

He twitches his nose, trying to stop his glasses from falling off. "This is really uncomfortable," he says. "Why can't I walk with them?" He jerks his head towards the trio on the ground, then gags. A deeper shade of green colours his cheeks.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Schlatt says, still grinning, "I think this is pretty _fly."_

Charlie makes an agonised grunt and buries his head in the crook of his elbow. "God, I hate you so fucking much."

Schlatt bites back a laugh. He decides to take pity on the poor guy and speeds up a tad. He may as well scout out the place before the others arrive.

Honestly, they weren't even going to take Charlie at first, but he's too valuable to be left behind. Charlie could hack into whatever systems there were available and delete security footage. They'd just have to make sure he didn't get caught.

Easier said than done, Schlatt thinks as he glances back down at Charlie. He's almost always talking. Even now, scared out of his mind, he's babbling incomprehensible nonsense into the skin of his arm.

It's not long until he comes across the first signs of human life – a swimming pool shines white under the moon. Around it are long grasses, some flattened from regular trampling. He flies lower, examining the area. There appears to be some green scales floating on the water's surface.

He recalls Connor saying something about someone's mind sounding like water. Perhaps they were amphibious? Some sort of fish-human creature, like how Schlatt's part goat? That sounds way more lame. Poor guy.

He ducks under a tree branch, careful to avoid snagging his feathers. Hiding in the trees is both safe and dangerous: it keeps him hidden from watchful eyes, but he's more likely to crash into something. He's willing to take that risk, until he hears a squeal, and remembers that he has a passenger.

Oops.

He finds a gap in the trees to fly out of and decides to stay up high. Unless they know he has wings, there's no reason for them to look up.

Why would they know he has wings? Unless they saw him that one time he hurt Charlie, it would be impossible. He rarely lets himself be seen. 

He kind of regrets seeing Charlie that day. It was fun talking with him, but then –

Then –

Fuck. He really shouldn't get distracted. Not this close to the enemies' base, while Charlie clings onto him like an overgrown monkey.

His arms are beginning to cramp up. He really ought to land, soon. Where the fuck is the base entrance? It's so stupid. 

Something pricks his forearm, almost like an insect bite. Something cold hits his veins. 

Woah. His brain feels way too woozy. 

His left wing squeezes tight against his sides, then flares wide open, staggering him. He swerves to his right, then back again, and, huh. His limbs feel so heavy. So sleepy.

He should land. 

"Schlatt, are you okay, man?" Charlie asks, wide-eyed and trembling. "Need to have a break?"

Schlatt grins, eyes half-lidded. Charlie looks like a mess of colour and shapes. "Heh, yeah. I think I need a smog check," his voice is lilted, almost like he's singing. He hums something under his breath. Wings beat at the air, flimsy and weak.

The ground looks real close. 

How convenient, he thinks deliriously. He's really sleepy.

He wonders why Charlie's screaming.


	9. wish upon the shooting star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Shut up," he snarls, then freezes.
> 
> He doesn't recognise his own voice. He doesn't recognise his emotions. He feels like a husk. Like something that barely exists, teetering in and out of the living, a barely-there ghost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's a bit darker than the others, but it'll get better i promise!!
> 
> also this book is nearly finished,,,, wild.
> 
> Please note that I read every single comment and appreciate every kudos! I don't respond as much because it feels like I'm just repeating myself. Thank you to everyone reading, much love!

It was a clean shot as any, and all his friends celebrate, clapping a hand on his shoulder, smiling, cheering. Even Carson looks approving, in his own distinct way – the upturn of his lips, the blotchy redness he gets when he's happy, his glasses slipping when he beams. 

Yet Cooper feels empty. Hollow.

He did it. He succeeded. But it feels like he failed. Again, his mind supplies, sneering, cold. What a record. Three failures in the span of two days.

At least this one doesn't hurt as much. It's a dull ache in his chest when he forces a smile on his face, it's the weird squeezing in his lungs when he hears the muffled crying from somewhere behind him.

He stares at the unconscious body of the guy they were tracking. He's laying on his side, nose nestling into the crook of his elbow, one wing buried under him and the other curling over his body. Like he's sleeping.

He doesn't look like a murderer. 

He looks young, maybe twenty, twenty-one. His wings look soft, reminiscent of a bird's yet looking just like how he'd imagine an angel's. They're not white, but a sort of muted orange, slightly lighter than his horns. 

His fur is white, though, and Cooper realises with a pang how similar he and Travis are. Both animal from the waist down, although Travis can transform fully.

He really ought to stop thinking about Travis, but it's harder when the crying grows louder.

"Shut up," he snarls, then freezes.

He doesn't recognise his own voice. He doesn't recognise his emotions. He feels like a husk. Like something that barely exists, teetering in and out of the living, a barely-there ghost.

There's a sort-of gulping sound, a strained noise, and the sobs quieten. A soft hiccup, once, twice, then silence. 

He risks a glance over his shoulder.

They found a way to keep Travis stuck in his animal form. So Travis sits there, chained up outside like any other dog with a muzzle on his face. It whirs and buzzes, and Travis paws at it helplessly. It doesn't feel right.

If he speaks up, they'll think he's a traitor, too.

Before, he wouldn't have hesitated to help Travis. Now, he feels like if he does _anything_ , they'd hurt him too. They wouldn't, he hopes they wouldn't, but he's scared. He's scared, and he wants to stop the stupid goat-man and his allies so that, when everything blows over, he can grab Travis and run.

So what if Travis is a traitor? They've known each other for so long.. there has to be a reason.

The way Travis cried over the goat-man, almost like he knows something they don't.

He shakes his head, trying to get rid of his thoughts. He wants to work, head empty, without any feelings interrupting him. He shouldn't try to empathise. 

He goes to turn back to the drugged man. At least he intends to, because in the process of turning around, he swears he sees something move in the forest nearby. It could just be an animal, and he clicks his tongue as he focuses on the goat-man.

Snippets of conversation drift towards him:

_"Honestly, the way she looked at me, you would've thought I stole the eggs out of her nest –"_

_"Stupid flea-brain. Just you wait until I get my claws on you –!"_

_"Am I going crazy, or did that bush just move?"_

Cooper pauses, fins pricking up. They waft in the air, as if trying to pull the words closer.

_"No, no, you're definitely not. I can smell it. Something here has the exact scent of the colour pink."_

There's a noise akin to a laugh. 

_"Now I think you're the one going crazy, not me."_

Interesting. Something's moving out there.

He inches closer to Carson, murmuring, and Carson nods. He gestures towards Noah, who struggles, funky powers trying to lift the goat-man.

"He's heavier than he should be," Noah grits out. He glances over at Ted, who had been leaning against a tree-trunk for the past ten minutes. "Why don't you come and help me roll him over? So that he's on his back. It'll be easier to lift that way."

Ted nods, but before he can even move, there's a strange hissing noise. A faint whirr and click.

All the lights shut off. 

Cooper stands stock-still. His fins quiver, struggling to adjust. It's pitch black.

"Shit," he hears Carson say. "Electricity shut off. Ted?"

In answer, there's a flicker, then a flame burns in the centre of Ted's palm. It doesn't offer much light, but it's enough to see. They gather around him, like he's some sort of campfire.

"Noah, d'you think you can flick that switch from here?" 

"To the backup generators? No. Too far away."

"What's the point of your powers if you can't do shit, Noah?"

Cooper drowns out their teasing. The power shouldn't have cut out like that. Something's going on here, and he wants to know what. 

He leaves the safety of the light to investigate.

The most obvious problem is goat-man. He's gone, though fuck knows where. 

So is Travis. The chains are cut and the muzzle is on the floor.

Cooper knows he should feel angry or something, but honestly? He's a bit relieved that they're both gone. 

He crouches, pressing his thumb into the dirt, near where goat-man used to be. He and his friends all wear shoes which have a smiley-face designed on the underside. It leaves a distinct track.

There's footsteps here which are blank. 

He knows for a fact they all had the smiley shoes on. Someone else was here.

He straightens up. He has to warn the others –

A hand claps over his mouth. 

He tries to scream, but all that comes out is muffled. He flails, kicking, scrambling with his clawed fingers, but the grip is too tight. He's caught in a headlock.

He can't breathe.

Panic crawls up his spine. _He can't breathe._

He's going to die here, barely two metres away from his friends, from safety.

With one last burst of energy, he digs his nails into his attacker's arm. He lashes out, throat hoarse. He barely even makes a dent.

As his eyes grow heavy, Cooper feels himself go limp. He's already weak, his scales are drying up, and his attacker is relentless, determined to sedate him.

Funny how it goes. He was the same with the goat-man.

Maybe he had it coming.

Somewhere in front of him, he can hear his friends shouting. They know.

They'll be fine. As long as they're fine, he'll be fine.

As his vision blacks out, Cooper feels himself smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cooper: travis sucks  
> travis: :(  
> cooper: nvm
> 
> On a different note, I'm midway through writing another lunch club based au. Fairy tales! So I take popular fairy tales and put a modern, platonic spin on them! I'll post it soon (hopefully), first one being Cinderella.  
> Another au I'm writing which will also be out soon is a crack fic taken somewhat seriously. I'm not going to spoil it, but I'm enjoying writing it.


	10. if the blackhole could swallow you whole, would you let it?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hey, you, you're finally awake."
> 
> The voice is deeper than what he'd expected, a sort of drawling tone to it, almost mocking. He steps inside, hands raised in what might be a gesture of peace. 
> 
> Cooper glares at him and pushes his back up against the wall, the cold stone almost comforting. For the first time since he's arrived, he feels a tinge of fear. "Who are you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just realised how annoying it might be to constantly switch between POVs, so from now on I'll switch between two people, who will be Cooper and Schlatt. Mostly because I love writing Cooper, and Schlatt is a funky little man
> 
> on another note, go read [Lunch Club, but they're animals](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23681047) i would appreciate it a lot!!!! It has Josh and Mason in there, plus Lunch Club, as seen by the namesake. And they're animals!!  
> (not gonna lie, I wrote it mainly to indulge in goat schlatt)

Everything is hazy. Hazy and dark. Where is he?

A face blurs in and out of sight. Concerned, yet afraid. Afraid of what?

Cooper tries to concentrate. Tries to look closer. A– a dog? It looks oddly familiar; it has tan fur with a creamy underbelly and muzzle. A species he can recognise, but can't recall. He reaches out for it, but when he tries to call it over, he finds that he can't speak. He touches his hand to his throat, and it comes away slick with blood. His blood? But it doesn't hurt.

He gets to his feet and is surprised by how unsteady he is. Each step sends a dull ache up his spine, almost as though he's pressing down on a bruise. Still, he pushes on.

The dog is much further than he thought it was. He keeps moving.

A steady trickling of water catches his attention. He wonders why. Water? Was that something important? He can't quite recall. He knows he can drink it, probably. Maybe he should. He crouches down to where a small stream runs. He can see his reflection. His throat is purple and blue with tinges of green. No blood. So where did it come from? He studies his own face, pushing his hair out of his eyes. It feels like something's missing, but he doesn't know what. He furrows his brow and squints, wracking his memory, but when he tries to think back, he can't remember.

All he knows is waking up to darkness.

He lifts a hand to touch the sides of his face, still watching his reflection. His fingers trace the outline of his ear. It looks odd on him, almost like something else should be there.

He pulls his hand back and gazes at his palm. His hands look strangely naked. His nails are shorter than what he thinks they should be, and his skin is too smooth, and he digs those same nails deep into his flesh, scratching angry red lines as though that would fix things. As he does so, he watches fish swim past. Their – their what's it? The glossiness of them. How they shine.

That's what he thinks his hands should be like. His hands should be rougher, almost like –

Yet, nothing quite like –

He blinks, and the water is gone. The dog is there instead, sitting in front of him, staring at him with wide eyes.

Something about it is unnerving. Its expression raises the hair along Cooper's arms. Then he gets it: the dog has human eyes. They are undeniably human – complete with eyelashes and off-white sclera. Those eyes are almost exactly like his, only brown and soulless. He tears his gaze away, shivering. He knows the dog is still watching him, and he reaches out to try and shift it away.

His hand passes right through it.

The dog blinks, doe-eyes sad and wet, and it – it disintegrates. It fades away before his eyes until there is nothing left of it but a claw and a clump of fur.

He picks up the claw. It is black at the root and grows lighter at the tip. Then the colour shifts, and it becomes a sort of muted orange, almost brown. Curved, almost like a h– ho–

He puts it down, and reaches for the fur instead. Creamy, but strangely laid out. Each piece of fur follows a similar angle. It looks like a wing. As he goes to replace it, a single lock of fur falls from the formation and lands in the shape of a circle. Like a halo? He barely even remembers what a halo is. Wasn't it a video game, or that one Beyoncé song?

Now he calls bullshit. How come he remembers who Beyoncé is, but not what he was before he woke up?

Cooper sighs and is about to stand again when he realises just how dark it is. Its pitch black now, heavy silence blanketing everything except for his breaths.

Then all around him, the walls split open.

Everywhere is eyes.

They all stare at him, unblinking, unforgiving. They judge him, but they don't know him. How could they, when he doesn't know himself?

He tries to shout at them, but his voice remains silent. Instead, he curses them in his head, violent, desperate, _scared_ –

That's how he wakes up again.

Covered in a thin sheen of sweat, too hot and too cold, heart pounding in his chest. Something brushes against his cheek and his hand flies up, finding a strange webbing and pointed tips.

Fins!

Yes, he remembers them, now. So that must mean his hands are fine, too, right? He goes to check, but freezes at the sound of footsteps.

"He should be fine now, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I didn't hurt him that bad, probably."

Hang on, two people? He only heard one set of steps. He glances around him for somewhere to hide, but there are only plain stone walls. No windows, no furniture. 

The footsteps grow closer, almost clumsy in a familiar way which makes his heart ache, but the other person is silent. They must have powers, surely. No one can walk that quietly.

He scrambles backwards into one of the corners, making sure his back is protected so nothing could ambush him. He's had enough of that in his lifetime, and his throat hurts just thinking about it. Of course, there are other incidents – long ago happenings leaving their mark in thin white scars.

The door shifts open and a strong beam of light trickles in. Cooper squints and covers his eyes, only to narrow them as an unfamiliar figure stands in the doorway. He can't help but feel disappointed. He'd been expecting someone else; he knows those footsteps. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.

"Hey, you, you're finally awake."

The voice is deeper than what he'd expected, a sort of drawling tone to it, almost mocking. He steps inside, hands raised in what might be a gesture of peace. 

Cooper glares at him and pushes his back up against the wall, the cold stone almost comforting. For the first time since he's arrived, he feels a tinge of fear. "Who are you?" 

The man shrugs, and the light catches on his hair. Dyed pink, matching the pig mask on his face. Why pigs of all things? Then again, Cooper thinks dryly, he _is_ part fish. They aren't any better than each other.

"I go by many names," the man says, and he shrugs again. "But most call me Technoblade. You're Cooper, aren't you?" He adds, an afterthought.

"How do you know?" Cooper can't help being suspicious. "Where am I?"

Technoblade (what a stupid name... there must be better things to go by, Cooper's sure of it) looks as though he might be smiling, but with the mask, it's impossible to tell. "I'm sure someone you know will be happy to tell you."

Cooper narrows his eyes further, but before he can speak, a round little figure steps into view. 

"Hi, Cooper," Travis says in a small voice, and Cooper mouth falls open.

He's torn for a moment, battling with himself. He wants to slap Travis for leaving them, he wants to hug Travis for leaving them, he wants to leave this room and never come back, he wants to turn back time, back to a simpler life, he wants to, wants to –

Goddamnit.

He rises in one smooth motion and walks forwards, steely gaze set on the adlet. Travis steps back, nervous, and Technoblade stiffens.

He doesn't stop walking until he and Travis are face to face. He studies his friend's eyes for something, _anything_ incriminating, anything to give way to traitorous plans, any kind of betrayal, disloyalty, but there is only innocence – a wide-eyed innocence like a child. 

Only then does Cooper realise what an idiot he's been.

He comes forward again and pulls Travis into a hug.

Travis squeaks, taken by surprise, but hugs Cooper back with a tiny sigh of relief. He'd clearly been expecting a different reaction, and by god does that hurt. He regrets ever making his friend feel scared.

And as they part, he vows to himself to never let Travis feel like that ever again.

The explanation comes quick, with Technoblade filling in where Travis can't. Cooper falls silent when its all over. He's finally heard everything, and he understands. If he were Travis, he'd –

Well. He'd like to say he'd help out, too, but he doesn't know how true that would be. He's always been a bit blinded by his want to please his friends.

He thinks of his dream. He thinks of that little halo of fur. Perhaps he was on the wrong side of things after all; he was so afraid of losing that rhythm, that comfortable rut, that he let himself be dragged under by blind hatred. 

Maybe now is time to break free of that.

Travis breaks him out of his thoughts. "You'll help us, right?"

Something twists inside of him. He still doesn't want to let go, wants to run back to Carson and Noah and Ted, but then – then that would mean hurting innocent people. They'll just have to convince the others, and he knows it won't be easy. It's always worth a try.

He opens his eyes, not realising he'd closed them. Technoblade watches him with a sense of wariness whereas Travis just looks hopeful, with a sort of childish excitement. Cooper wonders how he ever doubted him.

Or maybe he never did doubt Travis. Maybe he only ever doubted himself.

"Of course, you stupid furball," Cooper says, and Travis' bright smile is enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god i loved writing this chapter.


	11. watch the meteor shower one last time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt stares at him for a moment longer. "Y'know, once it took ten big men to defeat me, so not everyone can get me down. I'm quite _impressed."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've binged so many goddam Team Starkid musicals and they have such good songs??????? Like?? Hello?
> 
> .....a nice wholesome chapter. won't be seeing much of that from now on :)  
> (doesn’t really further the plot but....read if you want)

Travis walks on ahead, little tail wagging with every step while he talks and talks, and all Cooper can do is follow and mumble a response here and there. He looks happier than he ever has been back with Lunch C., which is kind of bittersweet.

Behind him is Technoblade. He walks silently as though he's gliding above the ground, and Cooper keeps forgetting that he's there. Something about his presence is unsettling. He glances over his shoulder and Techno meets his eye with a stone-cold expression. A tinge of fear raises the hairs on his neck and he quicks his pace, walking in step with Travis instead. He doesn't know what, but something about Techno makes him want to run.

"Where are you taking me?" He asks, trying to ignore what feels like an impending doom.

Travis shoots him a grin. "We're going to say hi to Schlatt!" He says, clapping his paws together. His smile fades slightly. "He's in his room, recovering from when you, you know."

Cooper looks away, fins pressed tight against his skin. "He won't like me."

"He likes most people. Connor says he's biased towards animal people. Like us!"

"Like us," Cooper echoes. He knows there's a part-animal only village down south. Maybe once this is over, he and Travis could stay there. But his friends . . .

A soft snuffling noise catches his attention and he turns around, spotting a little pig hobbling towards them with something in its mouth. It looks at him and Travis, snorting quietly, then trots towards Technoblade. The masked man drops to his knees and pats the pig's head, murmuring to it like it was an old friend. The pig oinks and drops what appears to be a piece of paper into Techno's hands. Technoblade skims over it then looks up at Travis. "Wilbur's coming over to help out," he says. "Phil's already here, apparently. God knows how. I should find him and keep him outta trouble."

"You guys have pig messengers?" Cooper is aghast. He did not sign up for this.

"Only one," Techno says with a wry smile. "This one's my good friend. He's called Skyblock."

Skyblock. What a terrible name for a pig. Cooper comes to the conclusion that Techno may be a psychopath. He wonders what goes on inside Techno's brain. He wonders if Techno _has_ a brain.

He waves the masked man goodbye and watches him leave with little Skyblock bouncing at his heels. 

"In here," Travis suddenly pipes up, and Cooper glances over at him. They're in a hallway paved with white marble (how rich is Schlatt?) and there are three, maybe four doors. One of them has a piece of paper stuck to it with what appears to be a pale blob in a pink hoodie.

Travis knocks on the door twice then pushes it open. The room inside is quite chaotic; there's a pile of clothes on the floor and a lit-up Christmas tree despite it being May. A framed photo of a goat sits beside a desk covered in what looks like blueprints or some form of plan. They all depict a shiny golden coin. On the bed is the goat-man himself, sprawled out and half-asleep.

"Wake up, Schlatt!" Travis says, bounding over to the bedside. Schlatt only snorts and rolls over again. His duvet is falling off of the bed, and Cooper can see a hint of white fur and a hoof. Travis shoots an exasperated glance back at his friend and tries again, this time shaking the goat-man's shoulders. "Wake up! Cooper's here, Schlatt!"

"Huhf– hm– wha –?" Schlatt jolts up, wiping a glob of drool from his mouth. He stares at Travis for a moment, as if trying to remember who he is, then turns and spots Cooper lurking in the doorway. "You brought him _now?_ But I look ridiculous, Travis," Schlatt grumbles, squinting. He fumbles around his bedside drawer and grabs a pair of round glasses. Once they're on, he points a finger in Cooper's direction. "You're the guy who shot me down, right?"

Cooper blinks and shrugs, tugging at his sleeves. "Yeah, sorry about that." He doesn't know what to do with himself. Avoiding Schlatt's eyes, he gazes around the room and pretends he isn't nervous.

Schlatt stares at him for a moment longer. "Y'know, once it took ten big men to defeat me, so not everyone can get me down. I'm impressed." He slides out of the bed and Cooper is taken aback by how tall he is. Schlatt has at least four inches on him and it's slightly (very) terrifying.

He glances at Travis, seeking reassurance, and the adlet gives him a thumbs up. He exhales, fins trembling, and looks up at Schlatt. "I was wrong about you," he admits. "I was wrong about a lot of things. I'm going to fix that."

The faun studies Cooper for a long moment, then walks up to him with a hand on his hip. He hums, toying with the tip of his horn, then nods and claps a hand onto Cooper's shoulder.

"So," He smiles, showing plenty of teeth. With the glasses on, he looks less like he's about to commit mass genocide and more like a librarian dad who caught some kids making too much noise in his library. So in other words, he looks the same. "Have you met Ty, maybe Connor, too?"

Travis lights up at the first name. "Ty's really cool, Cooper! He was really nice to me!" He reaches out for him, grabbing his arm with a child-like excitement. "Let's go find them! Is that okay, Schlatt?"

Schlatt waves him off with a roll of his eyes. He looks fond with just the slightest edge of amusement, watching on like a proud father. "Do whatever you want, I don't care. It's fine."

Travis beams, waves a goodbye to Schlatt, and drags Cooper out of the room by the sleeve. He rambles on as they go, pulling him along like an overexcited dog on a leash. "You'll love them, Coop, you really will, they're so nice and– hey, there's Wilbur! Did you know he's really good at singing? He's really good! I don't really know Phil, but you know – you know what, Cooper? He's human, but apparently he's really nice! Did you know that? Oh, and –"

Cooper laughs and, fuelled by Travis' infectious energy, grabs his friend's paw. "Race you to the end of the hall," he says, grinning, and Travis' ears prick up as he nods.

"You're _on!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also shoutout to Technothecow, you're the reason I named technoblade's piggy friend!!! They'll have a lot more scenes I promise!!!


	12. the asteriod is fast approaching, your last chance is here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie's mouth feels dry when he asks again, "What do you want?"
> 
> The man laughs and his teeth glint in the light. "We're here to rescue you, of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey you guys! 
> 
> I put up a notice as the first chapter, but here’s what’s going on summarised into a few words:
> 
> I will be rewriting the majority of this book once it’s finished! I’m not very happy with how the first few chapters are and I’ll be sorting that out in time. It’ll still follow the same plot obviously, but just written better

Cooper really should've known that there's no way he can beat Travis in a race. The little fucker transforms mid-step and Usain bolts it down the hallway, giggling when Cooper finally catches up.

"I win!" He says, pumping the air with a fist, and Cooper gives him a gentle shove.

"You cheated," he corrects, but he's smiling. "Let's go meet Ty and Connor."

Travis nods and leads him down the hall. Cooper doesn't miss the little bounce in his step and the tiny wag of his tail. He seems so happy here, and it’s so painfully bittersweet. He’s glad the guy found himself a place he can fit in, but Cooper can’t help but wonder if Travis misses the others, because he definitely does. He finds himself wondering what Carson’s up to, how Ted is doing, what Noah has to say. He misses them so much it hurts and _god,_ he wishes they could understand.

He sighs and Travis’ ears twitch at the sound. “Are you okay?” He asks, and Cooper pulls up a smile.

“Absolutely. Just thinking, you know what I’m saying?”

Travis tilts his head, confused puppy style, then nods and continues on without another word. That’s one thing he likes about best friends. They always know when not to pry.

They continue walking for a minute or so and suddenly Cooper finds himself on what appears to be the cusp of inside vs outside. The room around him is almost like a dome, with a window in the centre of the ceiling. The walls are made of stone, but there’s a certain earthy scent to it, and there’s dirt below his feet.

“Hey!” Travis calls, waving to someone Cooper can’t see. He lowers his voice. “This is my favourite room. It’s a hollowed-out hill, Schlatt made it with his light.”

Huh. His light. That must’ve been what caused the crater, then. Schlatt’s more powerful than he looks. He steps forwards to stand beside Travis and sees a small boy in a huge pink hoodie. There’s someone standing over him, murmuring instructions.

The pink guy turns around and waves back, then hands something to the other one and approaches them. “Travis!” He smiles and fist-bumps the adlet. “Hey, new guy. I am Ty! Wait, I recognise him from somewhere.”

“This is Cooper,” Travis says. He frowns. “I don’t think you met? Unless – oh.”

“What?” Cooper asks, and Travis shrinks into himself.

“When I ran away. They’re the ones I took with me.”

Cooper stares at him, then turns to Ty. A part of him wants to feel angry but something about Ty makes that impossible. He smiles again, and this time it isn’t so forced. “Who’s he?” He asks, nodding towards the one in the back.

“That’s Connor, he’s watering the plants,” Ty says, stepping to the side. Now Cooper can see rows upon rows of plants sprouting from the soil, while along the walls there are potted flowers and cacti. Connor’s in black dungarees with a purple shirt, holding a watering can while crouching over one of the many blooms. He looks over at the mention of his name and waves, then goes back to his work.

“You guys look busy, we should probably go,” Cooper says, and Ty pats his arm.

“Come back soon!”

Then they’re back in the hallway, and Travis leads him down what appears to be an endless path when they reach a sudden opening. Another room, almost like a cave. There’s seats here, plus a small television and a coffee table. This is what must be their living room.

He looks around and notices yet another guy sitting on a chair, arms crossed and watching them. He stands up, holding one hand out, and shakes his head.

"I need you guys to paws for a second, you're looking very fishy."

Cooper sighs so hard his entire chest shakes with it while Travis begins to giggle. “Hey, Charlie!”

Really? This is the guy he’d fought so hard to find? If he knew Charlie was like this, he would’ve begged Carson to stop weeks ago.

Charlie leans on the armrest, a mischievous grin on his face. He waves them over to sit down, then looks up at Cooper with one eyebrow raised and says, "Wanna know how I got these scars?"

Scars? He scans Charlie’s face and arms but finds nothing other than a bit of muck and some weird green goop.

In fact, he’s only just opened his mouth when Travis yelps and scrambles for something on the table. He hunches over it, and as he does so Cooper glances over at Charlie, silently questioning his sanity. Charlie's still got that grin on his face, but it's wide enough to almost be a grimace. After about a minute, Travis turns around, wielding a sheet of paper. On it is a badly drawn stick-man falling over in crayon. "Bang."

Charlie looks over at Cooper, furrowing his brow, and gives the adlet a confused smile. "Wha–?"

"Right on da head."

"Right on the head?"

"Right on da head."

"You think I got banged on the head?" Charlie repeats slowly, and Travis nods. He's straight-faced, more serious-looking in this moment than he's ever been in his entire life.

"Mhm! Bang, right on da head."

As they exchange mind-melting exclamations, Cooper rises and begins to sneak out the room. He's pretty sure he's losing his mind. He actually gets a foot out the door and in the hallway when Charlie yells at him, "Hey, Cooper! Guess what?" and he just about manages to stifle his second sigh of the day.

"What?"

Charlie beams at him and throws an arm around Travis' shoulders. "I got banged–"

"– right on da head," Travis finishes for him, and they exchange surprised looks. "Are you reading my mind?" Travis asks, squinting at him.

Charlie shakes his head, looking awfully proud. "We're on the same wavelength, dude. We're in sync." He reaches out his palm for a high-five, but Travis ignores him and turns back to his drawing. Charlie slowly lowers his hand.

"Hey, Cooper," he says instead, but there's no reply. He looks over to where he'd last seen the guy, and sees a man taller than– taller than... everything. He has one hand clapped over Cooper's mouth and the other is held out in front of him. Flickers of flame dance at his finger-tips.

"Come with us, Charlie," he says, and Cooper struggles in his grip, his shouts muffled behind the man's palm. Somewhere down the hallway, he hears Wilbur scream a warning. There are more of them coming. A tinge of fear creeps up Charlie's spine but he ignores it. I am not the priority here, he tells himself, and steps out to stand in front of Travis, throwing his arm out to keep the adlet behind him. He's already angry at himself for them getting Cooper, but there's no way he'll let them have Travis, too. He hears a soft popping noise and realises Travis has transformed. Good. That's good. Travis is stronger that way.

He scans the room for something he can use. He needs some form of technology that can protect them. "Who the fuck are you?" He asks, stalling for time.

The man cocks his head. He looks surprised, then makes a soft noise of amusement. "They didn't tell you? I'm not surprised. They're just trying to keep you with them," he says. The fire in his hand grows until it forms a small ball, crackling with heat. "We first heard about you through that one, actually–" He points at Travis, who begins to snarl– "He saw that goat-man almost kill you and told us. We came to get you, but you were already gone. The truth is, they kidnapped you, Charlie. You shouldn't trust any of them."

Charlie stares at him. "No. You're lying," he says, but doubt is already creeping in. He glances over his shoulder at Travis, then turns back to the man in the doorway. Schlatt didn't mean to hurt him, and Charlie's pretty sure he remembers it being an accident, but his confidence begins to waver. Cooper struggles harder, grabbing at the man's arms and shaking his head. Charlie's mouth feels dry when he asks again, "What do you want?"

The man laughs and his teeth glint in the light. "We're here to rescue you, of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> end of the book is drawing near :)
> 
> there will be two different endings :)


	13. the wind whispers its secrets to those who listen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Wilbur's shriek of warning came through, to say Schlatt panicked was definitely an understatement. He knows it must be Lunch Club, Travis' old friends, Cooper's still-friends, knows they must be here for Charlie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT THE FUCK IS UP I AM BACK AND I AM STRONGER THAN EVER

When Wilbur's shriek of warning came through, to say Schlatt panicked was definitely an understatement. He knows it must be Lunch Club, Travis' old friends, Cooper's still-friends, knows they must be here for Charlie.

All of this could've been avoided if Schlatt hadn't been so cocky. He should've known long ago to be careful with his gifts. "Your powers are unstable," Ty had told him once. "The light magic you have only appear during strong emotion, so that plus all that strength is _not good."_

There's a raid going on and if Schlatt loses control, he could fuck up a lot of things. He could hurt a lot of people.

He never wants to hurt another person again.

There's no time to mope, he tells himself, his hands dropping to his sides; he hadn't even realised he'd been toying with his horns again. His friends need him. He needs to help them.

He grits his teeth and steels himself, then peers out of his room. His ram ears twitch – someone's walking down the hallway, footsteps unfamiliar, long wary strides trying to stay quiet. They're no Technoblade.

Wings flaring by his sides, Schlatt prepares himself. He just needs to make his way to Charlie. If he can avoid a fight, he will. The person approaching will turn the corner and come into view soon, ETA thirty seconds at that pace. One last glance around and he flaps his wings, gliding as close as he can get to the ceiling. His hooves make him loud against the marbled floors. Flight is the only safe option and it's faster, anyway. He gets away unscathed.

His friends. Who would need help the most? Charlie is a priority, but surely Ty is, as well? The healing powers are important, they could help a lot of people, and the shield is obviously helpful as well. Connor is likely with him. Connor's a good guy. Ty will be safe with him. Who else? Certainly not Techno, the guy is an absolute powerhouse, and Wilbur should be alright – super-senses would keep him safe, unless the raiders find out and exploit it. Phil? Phil is hopefully staying out of it. If he isn't, he should hopefully be with either Wilbur or Techno.

Travis and Cooper were going around together the last time he saw them. He doesn't know much about the fish guy, but judging by that determination in his eyes and the way his jaw was set, so focused and intent, his lingering promise –

In any other circumstance, Cooper would be fine; he's a smart guy after all. But here? Here, where he's faced against his old buddies and this newfound loyalty?

Schlatt changes course. He needs to find them.

Someone screams somewhere down the hallway, a high-drawn wail of anger and fear, and Schlatt swerves towards the sound. Sparks of light follow him as he moves.

He finds himself staring through a doorway; the door itself is splintered and barely hanging on its hinges – someone very powerful was here – and inside– oh. A man Schlatt's never seen before stands in the way, his hands contorting in the air, and someone chokes out a gasp.

Phil floating in the air, grasping at his neck. A pleading noise escapes him – something that forms Wilbur's name, and for the first time Schlatt sees the Brit, trapped by metal and wood which pin him to the wall.

"Let him go, he's only human!" Wilbur struggles, not tearing his eyes away from Phil. "Let him go, you sick fuck."

The man tilts his head. His voice would be soothing in a different context. Now it's downright dangerous. "I'm sorry. But it has to be done." His fist squeezes shut and it wrenches out a pained cry from Phil, who kicks out and reaches with one hand, fingers stretching towards Wilbur.

Then he's falling and Wilbur's at his side and he's gasping, choking, heaving in deep breaths as Wilbur searches him for wounds. "What–?" He begins, voice rasping, and Wilbur hushes him and points. 

Behind them, Schlatt's wrestling with the bearded man, eyes blazing white flame as he struggles to contain his power. Light flashes, flooding the room in a painful glow. One heavy blow later and the man stumbles backwards, throwing up his hands. He's puffing as he lowers his arms and clutches his chest, shaking his head with what could be awe. "You're stronger than we thought," he says with the ghost of a laugh. He closes his eyes, sliding back against the wall. "Oh, man."

Schlatt stares at him. The light surrounding his body sparks, then fizzles out. Something about the way the man holds himself – strong, determined, yet there's a wild look in his eye. "What's your name?" Schlatt asks. He surprises himself by asking.

The man seems surprised, too, but he answers easily enough. "Noah. And yours, goat-man?" 

He holds out a hand and after staring at it for a couple seconds, Noah takes it and stands up. He looks less confident now, his shoulders hunching forwards, but he keeps his head up. It's almost (very) impressive. "I'm Schlatt. Renowned businessman, as you can see." Schlatt glances over his shoulder, where Phil is beginning to sit up. "Get him to Ty and stay out of sight." 

Wilbur nods, slinging an arm around Phil to help steady him. "Stay safe," he says, and the two leave the room.

Noah watches them go. He seems to deflate. "I can't believe I did that," he mutters to himself. Then he looks up at Schlatt, a single eyebrow raised. "So. What are you going to do with me?"

"I won't hurt you, if that's what you're asking. Ty could heal your injuries but I can't risk you attacking my friends, so. . ."

"I won't," Noah says immediately, then pauses, ducking his head. "I mean, Cooper's my friend. So is Travis. If they decided to join you, there must be a good reason." He pulls on a wry smile. "Travis may not have any brain-cells, but he– he can always tell who a good person is, even if they do fucked up things. He always does." Something in his face softens, looking almost wistful as he talks.

Well, when a guy says something like that, you know they're not lying. Schlatt offers him a smile. "I'm sure Ty will explain everything. I'll guide you to him, but you better be quick. I need to find Cooper before the others do."

"Cooper? I'm going with you," Noah says, and nothing Schlatt does convinces him otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it cuts out kinda weird but uhhh,,,, didn't know how to continue it so.... extra long chap coming up to make up for it!!! will probably be the penultimate chapter, then there'll be 2 different endings and it'll be cool...,,,
> 
> check out my wattpad for updates on this fic and upcoming shit:   
> https://www.wattpad.com/user/JudgementalMelon
> 
> gonna try to start updating regularly again,,,, also rewrite of this is coming soon!!! entirely cooper-centric ft how he and trav were friends before LC, how they joined LC, and why noah believes nothing they do is wrong :) because :) some things had happened :) and its kinda fucked up :)


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